The present disclosure relates generally to a vehicle having a cooling system and, more particularly, to a vehicle including a swing-out cooling system.
Typically, engine systems for both highway and off-highway vehicles include a cooling unit, or heat exchanger, capable of cooling the engine cooling fluid (e.g., coolant), transmission oil, engine oil, etc. For off-highway vehicles, the cooling system may include multiple cooling units in a compact configuration in order to minimize any impact on the size and weight of the vehicle. Additionally, by providing a compact cooling system, there are less constraints on the operator when servicing the vehicle. As such, stacked cooling units are known to provide a compact cooling system for off-highway vehicles.
Over time, cooling units may accumulate debris from the air and the road which decreases the efficiency of the cooling system. Therefore, the cooling units require periodic cleaning and maintenance. However, the stacked cooling unit configuration may make it difficult to clean both sides of the cooling units and may further limit access to the engine.
Some cooling units may fold out from the vehicle in order to provide access to both sides of the cooling unit and the engine. However, such cooling units may rotate or fold out horizontally, thereby requiring the operator to either reach across the cooling unit to access the engine or support the cooling unit above the operator. Furthermore, it may be necessary to use tools to rotate the cooling unit, thereby making removal or rotation of the cooling unit cumbersome and time-consuming.
An illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle including a chassis, a plurality of ground-engaging members operably coupled to the chassis, and an engine supported by the chassis and cooperating with the plurality of ground-engaging members to move the vehicle. The illustrative embodiment further includes at least one cooling assembly positioned adjacent to the engine and including at least one cooling panel that is configured to receive a fluid and at least one fan that is configured to direct air across the cooling panel to cool the fluid. The fan is configured to pivot outwardly relative to the at least one cooling panel. The at least one cooling panel is configured to pivot outwardly relative to the engine to expose the engine.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle including a chassis, a plurality of ground-engaging members operably coupled to the chassis, and an engine compartment coupled to the chassis and housing an engine. The exemplary vehicle further includes at least one cooling assembly coupled to the engine compartment. The cooling assembly includes an air propelling member, a first cooler, and a second cooler. The first and second coolers are configured to receive a fluid and the second cooler is intermediate the first cooler and the engine. Each of the air propelling member, the first cooler, and the second cooler are pivotable from a closed position to an open position. The first cooler is intermediate the second cooler and the air propelling member when in the closed position. The air propelling member is configured to pivot relative to the first cooler.
The present disclosure further includes a method of assembling at least one cooling system on a vehicle. The method includes the step of positioning at least one heat exchanger adjacent to an engine. The at least one heat exchanger is configured to pivot away from the engine about a first axis. The method further includes the step of coupling a fan to the at least one heat exchanger with a hand-operable coupler such that the at least one heat exchanger is intermediate the engine and the fan.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of various features and components according to the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.